One of country music’s most successful and revered songwriters has died.
Walt Aldridge passed away following a long battle with an unspecified illness on Wednesday at age 70.
Just one year before his death, Aldridge appeared at the Academy of Country Music Awards to receive the ACM Poet’s Award for his contributions to country music.
During his career, Aldridge racked up more than 20 gold and platinum records, including Ronnie Milsap’s 1981 smash hit ‘(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me’.
He wrote or produced a string of other hits for Milsap too, like ‘Smoky Mountain Rain’ and ‘I Wouldn’t Have Missed It for the World’.
His death was announced by his longtime publishing company, Alabama’s FAME Recording Studios.
Country music songwriter Walt Aldridge passed away following a long battle with an unspecified illness on Wednesday at age 70
‘We are deeply saddened to say that our dear friend and colleague Walt Aldridge has passed away,’ they wrote in a statement on Facebook.
‘We cannot possibly put into words how much Walt meant to the the FAME family! There was a time in the 80’s when Walt’s songwriting along with Robert Byrne, Tommy Brasfield and Mac McAnally carried the most of the weight of the Muscle Shoals Music industry through a difficult time in our history.’
Aldridge was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017 and into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2018.
During his career, he worked on songs for Billy Ray Cyrus, Lou Reed, Clarence Carter, Marie Osmond and many more.
Tributes have poured in for Aldridge since his death, with many in the songwriting community taking to social media to express their admiration for the musician.
‘Walt Aldridge a legend, the GOAT, teacher, mentor, producer, songwriter’s songwriter and the King of Muscle Shoals in that regard,’ wrote songwriter Gary Nichols.
‘I’m thankful for the writes, the wisdom and the stages he allowed me to share with you. Rest easy sir, you’ve earned it.’
During his career, Aldridge racked up more than 20 gold and platinum records, including Ronnie Milsap’s 1981 smash hit ‘(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me’
Alabama native Aldridge is survived by his wife Stephanie and his daughters Rachael and Hannah, as well as nine grandchildren.
Rachael shared an emotional tribute to Walt on Instagram, writing, ‘My dad’s fight came to an end yesterday.
‘He pushed through so many years of sickness and pain — always getting back up, always trying again. I’m grateful he’s finally at peace and no longer hurting.’
She continued, ‘Growing up, my dad gave me a front-row seat to the music business. There were so many things I experienced then that I only learned to truly appreciate later in life.
‘Dad also frequently made mixtapes for me, filled with great songs from every genre, and I played them on repeat. All of those moments, plus many more, helped shape my own love for music — and that love has stayed with me through every stage of my life.’
She added, ‘Dad and I didn’t always see eye-to-eye on everything, but we did share the same dry sense of humor, a strong work ethic, and a way of seeing the world honestly, without pretending everything was perfect.
‘This grief is layered — full of memories, complexities, and the quiet ache of what’s now gone. But through it all, I’ll hold onto the parts of him that shaped me. And I will miss him a lot.’
The Alabama native is survived by his wife Stephanie (pictured) and his daughters Rachael and Hannah
In a 2017 interview with Billboard, Aldridge reflected on penning Milsap’s ‘(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me’, which was not only his first hit, but also his biggest.
‘It became probably the biggest chart-topper that I ever had, my first country single, and because it was back in the days of crossover, it went top 5 on the pop chart,’ he said.
‘So by the time it was at its peak, it kind of became a game to me. We’d get in the car and I’d press the scan button and see if I could go all the way across the radio dial without hearing the song on some format,’ he continued.
‘When it was at its peak, it was hard to do because it was playing on so many different formats. That became my entrée into Nashville and the country music business.’
